Nightmares
by SARuhh
Summary: Jess' nightmares from his childhood return and he chooses to hide it from his uncle. As the nightmares worsen, will he be able to hide them any longer? Luke and Jess centric. Slightly AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

Sorry it took me so long to get this up, I was planning to do it on Saturday but I was pretty busy.

Thank you all so much for the reviews on the end of my last story, I'm so glad you guys liked and I really appreciate it!

Well, here's chapter one. I hope you guys enjoy it and please review, I really would appreciate it!

:)

* * *

_A boy, no older than seven, sat hiding in a small closet. His head rested on his knees, his arms wrapped around himself. He was shaking uncontrollably, fighting back the tears that threatened to fall. He was scared, so scared. Ron was angry with him again, he accidently knocked a new bottle of whiskey off the counter, it smashing to bits, the liquid splattering all over the tiled kitchen floor. He hadn't meant to do it, it was an accident. He knew Liz and Ron would find out, he tried cleaning up the glass but he ended up cutting his hands. _

_Ron was screaming his name now, objects outside his hiding spot being thrown and kicked across the apartment. He jumped when what he assumed was a chair banged against the closet door, startling him. He let out a yelp and held himself closer. He heard the sickening laugh of his mother's boyfriend, the man footsteps getting closer and closer. Jess shut his eyes tight and held onto his body. The door slammed opened and he felt a hand grab his shirt, pulling him out with force, the boy falling to the ground. _

_Jess turned around and looked up at the man with wide, fearful eyes. Ron wore a sickening grin, his arms crossed across his chest._

"_Why'd you hide?" he asked, taking a few steps closer to the boy, Jess quickly scooting back. Ron let out a laugh. "Aw, is Jessie scared?" he mocked, taking another step closer to the kid's small form. _

"_I-I-It was an accident," he pleaded with the man, his voice hoarse and stuttered. He backed a few steps away, his back hitting the wall. _

"_Do you have any clue how much that stuff costs?" he growled at the boy._

"_I'm sorry," Jess apologized, pushing himself closer to the wall. Ron smirked and unbuckled his belt and pulled it out fast, whipping the air behind him. _

"_Not as sorry as you're going to be," he lifted the whip up, Jess' eyes wide and scared._

"No!" Jess yelped, sitting up quickly. He looked around the dark room, taking in his surroundings. He was in Luke's apartment, the man sleeping in his bed a few feet away from the boy. Ron wasn't there, nor were any of the other ex-boyfriends of his mother's.

He let out a shaky sigh and ran a hand through his wet hair. He was covered in sweat, his body shaking. He pulled off the many blankets covering his body and stood up. His body still shook madly, the sense of fear just not seeming to disappear. He quietly walked over to the couch and grabbed his coat. He checked the left pocket and pulled out his fairly new pack of cigarettes. He knew he should be hiding them better, Luke deciding to forbid Jess' habit for chain smoking. The man wasn't the most attentive, he barely had time to realize his blatant love for the infamous Lorelai Gilmore, let alone notice a pack of cigarettes sticking out of the boy's coat pocket. He stuffed the pack back in his pocket and put his coat on. God, was he in need of his unhealthy habit right about now!

He quietly tip toed over to the apartment door, twisting the knob slowly and pulling the door open. His uncle's unannounced snore startled the boy, causing him to jump. He turned his head to look at the man, he sprawled across his twin mattress. The man snored once more and adjusted himself into a comfortable position. Hopefully Lorelai didn't know about his consistent snoring, it'd drive any sane woman away. Then again, that Gilmore wasn't exactly sane.

Jess made his way down the stairs and into the diner, fingering his lighter in his pocket. The dream was still wandering his mind, his body still shaking, a bit lighter. Why was he having these nightmares again? He hadn't had a nightmare since he was fourteen, the year he had started listening to music to drown them out. He was still listening to music, louder music every night since he had begun having the nightmares again seven days ago. Why wasn't it working anymore?

Jess unlocked the diner door and walked outside, the cold November air hitting his sweaty body with full force, it almost cooling him off somewhat. He sat down on the curb, pulled out a cigarette, and placed it between his lips. He pulled out his lighter and lit the end of the stick, taking in a long breath. He released the smoke with a sigh, his body slowly stopping its shaking. He took puff after puff until he felt calm again, until he felt more like himself. He wasn't that scared little kid anymore, he wasn't little scared Jessie anymore, he was Jess Mariano, sixteen, going on seventeen, the tough boy who let nothing break him.

He flicked the ash off the end of his cigarette. He was happy that Luke hadn't heard him scream, he didn't want Luke to see him like that, the scared, weak kid. That wasn't him anymore, he wasn't weak.

"Jess?"

Jess jumped back, quickly turning his head to see his uncle standing behind him, the man in his pajamas, his green coat buttoned up tight.

"You alright?" Luke asked, walking over to his nephew and taking a seat next to him. His hands were stuffed in his coat to keep them warm, the man shivering for a brief moment.

"Yeah," Jess nodded, taking a drag, "You just startled me. Did I wake you up?"

"No," he told the boy as he grabbed the remains of Jess' cigarette out of his hand and threw it to the ground. He stomped out the cigarette, much to Jess' displeasure. "Didn't we already have the smoking discussion? Do I need to get the pictures of black lungs out again?"

"Yes, I was feeling nostalgic, they were just that lovely," Jess stated, smirking at the man.

"Hand over the pack, Jess," Luke ordered, taking his right hand out of his pocket, holding it out to the boy. Jess just stared at it, reluctant to give away his only means of sanity. Without those cigarettes he'd go crazy, the town would make sure of that.

"Jess..." Luke warned.

"Fine," Jess grunted, letting out a sigh. He took the pack of cigarettes out of his pocket and handed it over to his uncle.

Luke smiled, knowing he had won the battle.

"You want to tell me why you're out here in the freezing cold at three in the morning?" Luke asked his nephew, the boy rolling his eyes. His uncle seemed to be in the talking mood tonight, something Jess was definitely not up for.

"I needed some fresh air, thought it'd do me some good," Jess stated, eyeing the pack of cigarettes in Luke's hand. God, he needed another stick, he was even contemplating snatching the damn pack from Luke's hands and running down the street with them. He needed a smoke, the dream still lingering in the back of his mind.

"At three in the morning?" Luke asked suspiciously. He snorted, "Jess, you expect me to believe that you woke up at three in the morning and just decided that you needed to get some fresh air and smoke a cigarette?"

"Yeah," he replied, stuffing his hands in his pockets, "Because that's the reason I'm out here."

"Jess, tell me the real reason you're out here," he demanded. His nephew had been acting pretty odd the past few days, the boy was definitely not his usual self at moments, his mind always caught up in something else. He wondered if it was about Rory, he didn't know what else it could possibly be about.

"Oh, you caught me, Luke," he teased as he stood up, deciding it was best to leave then with a witty remark, before the real interrogation could begin, "I was plotting my plan to destroy all the porcelain unicorn shops in town."

"Jess," the man let out a sigh and rolled his eyes. He stood up and watched the boy make his way towards the diner door.

"Better go and warn Taylor," he continued as he opened the door, "Before I get out the gasoline and matches."

Luke rolled his eyes yet again and followed his nephew into the diner. He decided to drop the subject for now, too tired to get into an argument with the kid over his sarcastic claims. He knew he would find out about whatever was bothering the boy, Jess would tell him eventually, he always did.

* * *

Alright, well there you have it; Chapter One.

I really hope you guys liked it and I'll try and update as soon as possible.

Please review!! :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

Thank you all so much for the reviews, favorites, and story alert adds! I'm so glad you guys liked the first chapter so much!

Well, here is Chapter Two, I hope you guys like it.

Please review!

* * *

"Luke! Jess! Service now please!" Lorelai yelled impatiently as her and her daughter sat down at an empty table, "Rory needs to get off to school, we're running late!"

Luke rolled his eyes and grabbed two mugs and a pot of coffee from behind the counter. He walked over to the two, Lorelai staring at the coffee pot with a longing gaze.

"Could it kill you to be a bit more patient? You just got in here," Luke stated, filling their mugs with hot coffee. Lorelai smiled as she took in the fumes from the caffeinated drink. She quickly changed her expression to one of sternness and looked towards the diner owner.

"Did I not mention that my daughter, who has never been tardy and would like to keep it that way, is running late?" Lorelai pointed towards the man, giving Luke a fake angry glare.

"Mom," Rory sighed, rolling her eyes. She took a sip of her coffee, "I won't be late."

"Speaking of late," Lorelai spoke up, looking towards Luke, "Shouldn't that nephew of yours be down here right now?" Her eyes glanced up towards the ceiling, wondering if the kid was up there, "He has school too."

Luke looked at the clock and cursed to himself. He ran over to the stairs and screamed, "Jess!"

The boy ran down the stairs quickly, appearing next to his uncle, almost tripping on his own feet. Luke took a better look at the kid and was startled by the boy's appearance. The kid looked tired and unkempt, his hair lacking its usual gel, the curls laying down against his forehead. His eyes had circles underneath them, giving the kid the face of a zombie.

"I know, I know," Jess quickly acknowledged, rushing over towards the coffee maker and grabbing a Styrofoam cup, "I overslept."

Luke followed the boy, "Jess, you were up practically all night after you went outside, I heard you stumbling around the apartment," he crossed his arms and watched as his nephew placed a lid on his cup, "How could you oversleep when you weren't even asleep to begin with?"

"I fell asleep while I was getting ready, alright?" he grabbed a donut from the tray, "I was tired. I'm fine now though." He wished his uncle would stop the interrogation, he was already late as it was.

The boy's protests of feeling fine weren't fooling Luke. Jess always told the man he was fine when in reality he wasn't. He followed Jess a few steps.

"Jess," he started, his concern for his nephew's state apparent in his voice, "you really don't look so good, if you want to stay--"

"No," Jess stated fiercely, turning to face the man, "I'm fine!" He sighed and regained his usual nonchalant attitude. "Besides," he added, "I wouldn't want to miss school, now would I? A boy my age needs to get his education." He walked over to the door, Luke following.

"Jess--"

"Do you want me to be on time or not, Luke?" he turned back, facing his uncle with his arms crossed. He just wanted to get out of there, he was in no mood for a fight with Luke.

"Uh, Jess," Lorelai cut in, causing the boy to turn his attention to the sassy Gilmore, "Your shirt is on backwards."

The boy looked down at his shirt, swearing to himself. The tag was sticking out in front of him; he was half asleep when he put it on and must have not noticed it, "Thanks," he mumbled, rushing towards the counter. "Oh," he stopped himself, turning around quickly as he grabbed a slip of paper out of his pocket. "Sign that," he handed the slip to Luke, "It's a late pass."

"Jess, if you want--" Luke attempted to offer his nephew the day off once more as the boy headed towards the stairs.

"Sign the damn sheet, Luke," Jess growled, turning around to look at his uncle, an annoyed expression gracing his face, "Or do you want to hold my hand and walk me to the school, cause that's the only other way they'll let me in late."

Luke let out a defeated sigh and Jess rushed up the stairs. He grabbed the pencil from behind his ear and placed the pass down on the two Gilmore's table.

"Wow, talk about a morning charmer," Lorelai commented, watching her friend scribble his sloppy signature on the slip.

"Is everything alright with him, Luke?" Rory asked, the man letting out another sigh as he grabbed the sheet off the table, glancing at it one more time before looking towards the two girls.

Luke shook his head. "To tell you the truth, I'm not really sure," he told the two Gilmores as Rory looked over towards the curtain, seeming to almost long the boy's return, "He barely slept last night, and he's been acting pretty odd almost all week." Luke rubbed his temples, "And trust me, this isn't the first time he's walked down here with something on wrong. He almost walked out the door with boxers on three days ago."

Lorelai and Rory stifled back laughs, Rory trying to take a sip of her coffee, almost spitting it right back into the mug.

"I always imagined Jess as more of a brief's boy," Lorelai teased as she continued to choke back her giggles. Luke rolled his eyes at the comment. Before the Gilmore could slip another joke, Jess appeared from behind the curtain, his shirt on correctly. He pulled his arm through the left sleeve of his jacket as he walked towards them and quickly snatched the pass from Luke's hand. He grabbed the handle to the door and slammed it open, Luke, Lorelai, and Rory watching him carefully.

"Bye Jess," Luke called to the boy, the girls looking over towards the older man. Jess turned his head quickly to look at the man.

"Yeah, bye," he mumbled, quickly walking out the door and into the cold morning.

"That boy and his monosyllable." Lorelai sighed, shaking her head mockingly.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Jess sat in English class, fighting to stay awake. He had decided to actually attend school that day, hoping that he could perhaps get some sleep during one of his many useless classes. He ended up scratching the idea of sleep though; it wouldn't be good if he had a nightmare during could stand being awake for his English class though, it was a subject he could enjoy--well, to some degree. His love for literature did tend to keep his attention during the class, though the teacher, Mrs. Anderson, really irked him. Hell, all teacher's irritated the hell out of him.

Jess couldn't fight the urge to shut his eyes any longer, his body begging him to sleep. He'd only shut them for just a minute, he wouldn't let himself fall asleep. His head began to droop down, his body relaxing itself--No! He thought to himself, snapping his head back up. He had to stay awake, he couldn't risk it. He forced his eyes wide open and ran a hand through his hair. This was torturous. He only came to school because it was too cold to sleep outside. He was starting to rethink that decision however. He was beginning to think he'd take the bitter weather now over this battle with his conciseness.

He sighed and slowly gazed back down at his textbook. They were supposed to be reading a poem written by Sylvia Plath, but Jess could not get himself to actually read what was typed on the page. He was too tired to make the words out, his eyes fighting to stay open, barely able to focus on the words that made up the poem _Daddy._

His head began drooping down again, the boy just too tired to fight it.

"Jess!" his teacher scolded, the boy's head snapping up towards the woman, an angry face meeting him, "Is Sylvia Plath boring you?"

"She's fascinating." Jess reassured his teacher. It's not that he didn't like Sylvia Plath, he thought she was a great author, as well as poet. He had read her book _The Bell Jar _almost seventeen times.

"Then why are you falling asleep?" his teacher asked as she crossed her arms and glared at the boy.

Jeez, couldn't he catch a break? He comes to school and gets bombarded by accusations from his teacher, he should have just taken Luke up on his offer, then he wouldn't be in the mess. Even if he would have confirmed Luke's suspicions that something was indeed wrong, he'd rather deal with an overprotective uncle than Mrs. Anderson.

"Guess silence just makes me sleepy," Jess shrugged, looking down towards the textbook, expecting--more like hoping--the conversation was over.

"Well, if noise is what you need to keep yourself awake, why don't you just read the poem aloud to the class?" his teacher suggested, a smirk plastered on her face. Didn't she think she was so smart?

The boy sighed, annoyed, and began to read the first stanza aloud from the textbook:

"_You do not do, you do not do/ Anymore, black shoe/ In which--"_

"In front of the class Jess," the teacher scolded, pointing towards him, "standing up may help you stay awake longer."

The class laughed as Jess rolled his eyes. He let out a sigh and stood up slowly, carrying his textbook with him to the front of the class.

"Continue," the teacher nodded, motioning for him to go on.

The boy began to read the rest of the poem aloud, speaking the words with a dull and bored tone. He felt like his knees would give out on him at any moment, causing the teenager to topple over. He couldn't believe this woman, she couldn't just let him just sit there? He looked over at Mrs. Anderson between each stanza, watching her nod in approval as he continued to read the poem. Jess finally read the last line, letting out a long yawn as he finished.

"Thank you, Jess." his teacher smiled, walking over to the chalkboard behind him, "Class, take a lesson from Mr. Mariano and his enthusiasm. You can sit back down now."

Jess made his way back to his desk and let out yet another yawn, much longer than the first. He glanced up at the clock, noticing the time, and moaned.

Only four more hours to go.

* * *

Thank you all for reading! I hope you all liked it.

I'll try and update sometime over the weekend, I've got a lot going on though.

Please review, I'd really appreciate it!

:)


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, as usual.**

Thank you all so much for the reviews on Chapter Two, I really appreciate it!

I hope you all had a good Valentine's Day.

Well, here's Chapter Three!

Enjoy!

:)

* * *

Jess entered the diner, the annoying bell above the door alerting all to his arrival. Luke looked towards the sound, spotting his nephew sluggishly making his way through the door. Jess was still exhausted, school wearing him out even more. The thought of working his shift made him feel even worse, there was no doubt in his mind that he would fall asleep while pouring someone their coffee, in the end spilling it all over the customer. There wasn't really any way out though, if he told Luke he didn't want to work the shift, he'd face the interrogation that he had thankfully avoided last night. He couldn't take any more questions or talking, he had had enough of that from his English teacher.

"Hey Jess," Luke greeted his nephew as he walked towards the counter, the man standing near the cash register, going through orders.

"Hey," Jess gave his uncle a weak smile and peered over the counter, glancing down at the pile of orders Luke held in his hands.

"How was school?" Luke asked the boy as Jess made his way behind the counter, the diner owner following the kid with his gaze. Jess grabbed a coffee pot from off the maker and an order pad and pencil.

"It was school," Jess shrugged, the words coming out dry. He glanced over towards his uncle with tired eyes before quickly rushing off.

"Thanks for the details there, Jess. Very descriptive," Luke mumbled to himself as he flipped through the pad in his hands. His nephew had _really_ improved on his conversational skills. Well, Luke thought, at least he didn't get the famous grunt and nod of the head that his nephew tended to grace most others with. Thankfully, they had moved on from that stage and Jess decided to grace the man with actual sentences. Given they were short and cryptic, they were definitely an improvement from the conversations the two had shared during the early months of the boy's stay. Luke was truly glad for that, he felt that he and his nephew had gotten much closer, and Luke hoped that the boy would feel that he could confide in the man when he needed someone to talk to. He wanted the boy to know that he wasn't like Liz, he wouldn't toss him out when the going got rough, that he'd always be there for him, whatever trouble he managed to get himself into.

Jess made his way listlessly around the diner, bumping into chairs and tables that magically seemed to appear in his way. He just wanted his shift to end. He needed to come up with some sort of way to get to sleep without getting trapped inside one of his nightmares. He needed a full night's sleep that night, no question about it. He felt like he was about to collapse at any moment.

He bumped into an unnoticed chair as he made his way over to the table where Miss Patty sat, the chatty woman calling out to the boy, waving him over with her right hand, an empty mug in her left. A smile formed on her face as she saw the young rebel heading her way.

"Hey, handsome," she teased, placing her mug down on the table. Jess gave her a quick smile and mumbled a weak greeting.

He tilted the pot and began to fill the mug with the hot brew. He watched the liquid pour down, his eyes shutting for a brief moment, his body screaming for him to go sleep. All he really wanted at that moment was to get a quick minute, even a second, of rest. Damn those stupid nightmares, they'd be the end of him.

"Jess, honey!" Miss Patty yelped, causing the teenager to open his eyes wide, the boy startled. He looked down at the table, realizing he had accidentally overflowed the coffee mug, the brew spilling out everywhere. Yep, he thought to himself, he had definitely called _that_.

Luke looked up from his order pad at the sound of the woman's cry, quickly dropping the pad and grabbing a rag as he noticed the dark liquid that had spilled all over the table. He rushed over to the two and began to wipe down the table. He quickly glanced behind him towards his nephew. The boy just stood there, unresponsive and completely out of it. He held the pot in his hands as he stared down at the table, as if he was still taking in what had just happened. What was up with him, Luke questioned, wearing his clothes backwards and now almost pouring coffee all over Miss Patty? His concern for his nephew was increasingly growing, he needed to get to the bottom of this, and soon.

"Sorry," Jess finally spoke up, his voice a mumble, at last snapping back into reality. His expression was back to its usual look of apathy. "I wasn't paying attention," He added shyly.

"Got a girl on your mind, handsome?" Miss Patty asked, winking at the boy, trying to shrug the whole ordeal off. Jess rolled his eyes, of course he should expect that response from the town's man-crazy dance instructor.

"Wow, how'd you know?" he mocked, pleasing the woman. That'll probably give her something to talk about, that woman lives on gossip, along with Babette, Jess thought. Those two were always spreading and starting rumors, he didn't blame them though, the small town was quite a boring place; nothing ever happened there.

"Excuse us," Luke told the woman as he grabbed Jess' shirt, dragging the boy behind the counter. Jess let out a sigh and crossed his arms.

"Jess, are you alright?" Luke asked nervously, laying a hand on his nephew's shoulder. He looked over at Miss Patty quickly, the woman now taking a sip of her coffee, acting as if nothing had even happened, "You almost drowned Miss Patty in coffee."

"I'm fine Luke, stop asking me that, jeez," Jess pushed the man's hand aside forcefully, "Mind your own business."

Luke grabbed the boy's shoulder quickly and turned him around fiercely, "When it involves you, it is my business. Now, tell me what's wrong," he ordered.

Jess just stood mute, arms crossed across his chest, a scowl adorning his features. Luke fought to resist the urge to shake the kid, the boy's stubbornness tempting him. Why was his nephew so against talking to him? Luke just didn't understand why his nephew couldn't at least give him a vague clue as to what was bothering him.

"Fine," Luke sighed in defeat as he took his hand off the boy's shoulder, "Don't tell me. But trust me, I will find out, this conversation isn't over."

"Oh," Jess teased, raising his hands up, "I'm scared."

"Get back to work," Luke ordered his nephew, quickly grabbing the coffee pot from the boy's hand, "But for now, just take orders." He handed the boy an order pad and pencil, "I can't have you burning my customers with the coffee."

Jess snorted. "Aye, aye, captain," he gave the man a mock salute, lacking his usual enthusiasm when it came to his witty jeers. The boy was just too tired to give the effort. He headed back over to Miss Patty and took her order.

Luke watched his nephew from afar, the boy making his way wearily around the diner once more. Oh, they were definitely having that talk later, and he was not getting out of it this time with some smart-ass remark either.

* * *

Jess took a drag, the burning sensation in his throat waking him up a bit. He had stolen his pack back from Luke, the man hiding them in his sock drawl of all places. Count on Luke to hide something in the most obvious spot. Not that he was complaining or anything; he was relieved he hadn't had to go on a man hunt through the trash. The pack Luke took from him was half full and he wasn't going to let those unsmoked cigarettes go to waste. He had taken off after his shift, quickly going upstairs to retrieve the pack of cigarettes before leaving. He had managed to get through his shift without any other spills, Luke forbidding him to touch the mug in fear of a repeated incident.

Jess laid down on the bridge, his feet dangling off the edge. He was back to coming up with a plan to make his nightmares go away. He had come to the secluded bridge to collect his thoughts. He needed to sleep tonight, there was no question about that. Maybe sleeping pills would help, he thought, except those may have the opposite effect, perhaps keeping him stuck in the painful dreams even longer. Jess sighed and shut his eyes.

"Goddamn, is the only way I can get some rest is if someone knocks me out with a pan or something?"

"Would you like me to help you with that?" Jess opened his eyes, startled, and was met by the image of the infamous Lorelai Gilmore standing above him, the woman looking down at him with a smirk. She held two bags of groceries under her arms, they both stuffed with junk food. Luke would have a heart attack he saw all the unhealthily, salty chip bags that were stuffed in the two paper bags. Jess sat up and regained his usual apathetic expression and looked up towards the woman.

"I didn't know you were there," he stated, taking a drag and looking towards the lake. He hoped Lorelai would just pass on by, leaving him to his thoughts. He really needed to work on that sleeping problem of his.

"I'm a master of espionage," she teased as she placed her bags down, much to the boy's dismay, and sat next to him, "Now, what's wrong?" she started, looking over at the kid. She was met by an almost horrified expression. "What?" she asked, raising her hands up defensively, "Can't a mother show some concern for a child?"

"You're not my mother," he stated dryly, pointing out the obvious fact. He exhaled a cloud of smoke, Lorelai watching him as he carefully lifted the cigarette to his lips once again.

"Obviously, or I'd be living in New York with boyfriend number twenty-eight," she smiled, trying to make a lighthearted joke. Jess exhaled the smoke through his nose, his eyes staring straight towards the water below.

"Thirty-three," he corrected, taking the cigarette from between his lips, "She's on boyfriend number thirty-three, maybe thirty-four now, I haven't talked to her in a while."

"Oh," Lorelai exclaimed, feeling a bit awkward bringing up a subject that was probably not something Jess would want to talk about, the boy nor Luke rarely ever bringing up the woman.

"She's married before," Jess started, looking towards the woman, taking a quick drag of his cigarette, "About three times. Almost married about ten." Jess took another frantic drag. Lorelai could tell he was beginning to feel a bit uncomfortable. So was she.

"Almost married?" Lorelai questioned, "What, was this a case of Runaway Bride syndrome?"

"No." He was quiet for a moment, shaking his head, "She, you know, got engaged, was supposed to marry the guy but ended up backing out of it," he clarified, tapping the ash off his cigarette, "Almost marrying." He shrugged and looked over at Lorelai.

For a second, the woman thought she almost caught a bit of secluded emotion behind the teenager's brown eyes. Maybe dejection? But as quick as it came, it left, the spark of sorrow disappearing as he quickly looked away from her.

Lorelai watched the kid with concern. As much as she couldn't stand the boy sometimes, there were parts of her that really felt for him. His mother was an alcoholic, maybe even a junkie. Luke nor Jess spoke much about the woman, but from what Lorelai had heard, she definitely didn't sound like she would be getting the Mother of the Year award anytime soon.

"That must have been tough for you," Lorelai consoled, Jess shyly looking over towards her, "Your mother moving from guy to guy almost days at a time." He stared at her for a moment, a little taken back. It was the sincerity in her voice, the absence of her usual sassy tone, startling him.

"I got used to it," Jess shrugged, staring at the cigarette in his hand, the stick almost completely gone. He had a feeling he was going to need another one. "Liz is just fickle," he added, same nonchalant tone as before, "I never liked any of the guys anyway."

"Were they like her?" she asked. When Jess didn't respond, Lorelai looked over at the boy, shocked by the expression that met her. Jess' eyes were glazed over, looking as if he was lost in some memory. They were wide and terrified. Lorelai had never seen the boy like this before, it scared her.

"Jess?" she called, trying to bring him back from wherever he had went. She laid a hand on the boy's shoulder, the kid flinching back quickly, startling Lorelai.

"Don't touch me," he stammered, backing up a bit. Lorelai noticed that he still seemed lost in some terrifying vision. Lorelai went to touch him once more, trying to comfort him, but the boy flinched back again, much more violently this time.

"Jess?" Lorelai was starting to panic, she didn't know what to do, how to get him to snap out of it. She watched as the boy shut his eyes tightly, his nails digging into his palms.

"They were worse than Liz," he admitted, his voice trembling, "Much worse." The boy looked so weak in that moment, Lorelai feeling as if she was looking at completely different person. This wasn't the Jess the town knew, this wasn't the smug, cold kid that she had become accustomed to seeing in Luke's diner.

"When you say worse--they didn't--" She didn't want to say it. She took a deep breath, "They didn't hurt you, did they?" His mother wouldn't let that happen, would she? The fear she saw in his eyes, the way the boy flinched back from her touch, it reminded her of a traumatized puppy, one that had been kicked too many times. She watched as Jess opened his eyes and calmed down. He avoided eye contact with the Gilmore, the question causing the boy to feel uncomfortable and violated. He didn't want anyone to know, especially her.

"I need to get back to the diner," Jess bluntly stated, standing up and throwing his cigarette to the ground. He quickly stuffed his hands in his pockets and rushed off.

"Jess!" she called after the kid as she stood up, watching his storm off. He looked back for a brief moment, eyes wide. Lorelai froze in that moment. She had gotten her answer--it just wasn't the one she had hoped for.

* * *

Well, there you have it: Chapter Three.

Thanks for reading and I really hope you guys all liked it!

I'll try and update sometime later in the week.

Please, please, please review! I really appreciate it!


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

Thank you all so much for the reviews and favorite story adds, I really appreciate it!

Here you have it: Chapter Four!

Please review!

:)

* * *

Luke was wiping down a table, finishing his nightly cleaning ritual for the diner. He was awaiting his nephew's return, expecting the kid to walk through the door any minute. Jess had left for his break a few hours ago, the cigarette pack Luke hid in his sock drawl disappearing with him. Luke sighed and moved on to the next table. He'd definitely have to get those black lung pictures out again.

Luke perked up when he heard the sound of the bell ringing above the door. He looked up to see his nephew walk in, the boy giving him a weak smile. He watched his nephew shut the door behind him and lock it with a flick of his wrist. The boy placed his jacket on the coat rack and looked towards his uncle.

"Need any help closing up?" Jess offered solemnly, making his way over to the man. The boy thought that he'd maybe make up for the incident during his last shift by helping the man close. He was exhausted, but five minutes of work wouldn't kill him.

"Yeah, sure," Luke smiled at the boy. It was a rare occasion that his nephew offered to help him. He watched as Jess looked up smugly from his shoes as he answered, the boy's hands stuffed in his pockets. Something was up.

Jess grabbed a rag from off the counter. He began wiping tables down, Luke looking up from what he was doing every few seconds to watch the boy. They needed to talk, but Luke couldn't figure out a good way to start the conversation. Jess didn't seem too pleased the last time he had tried to have a talk with him, and he didn't want to start a fight between the two. He'd start with small talk, Luke decided, then move on to the real problem.

"So," Luke started, causing Jess to glance up towards the man, "How was your day?"

"Oh, just peachy, Uncle Luke," Jess sneered, wiping the table with more force. His mind quickly went to the snooping Gilmore. Dammit, that woman had no right to interrogate him the way she did, it was Stars Hollow, not Law and Order. It wasn't her business what his mother's boyfriends did to him. He wasn't her kid, and he thanked God daily for that (for more than one reason). "How was yours?" he asked Luke, watching his uncle move to another table, placing a chair on top of it.

"It was fine," Luke replied, placing another chair on the tables. Well, this wasn't working too well, Luke thought. He had forgotten that small talk and Jess never mixed. He watched as his nephew wiped the table harder and harder, caught in his thoughts. Whatever the boy was thinking about definitely wasn't something pleasing, Luke could tell, especially since the boy was taking out his anger on a plank of wood.

"Jess," Luke called, causing his nephew to look over towards him, still wiping, "I think it's clean."

Jess' eyes widened as he suddenly stopped wiping and dropped the rag on the table. He hadn't realized how much force he was really using. His mind was still on the events at the bridge. Lorelai knew, dammit! She knew! She had seen him weak and scared, caught up in the lingering memory of his dream from the night before. No one was supposed to see him like that, _no one_.

Jess took a deep breath and sighed, "Yeah," he nodded his head and stared at the table for a brief moment before looking back over at his uncle, "I guess it is."

Luke heaved a sigh and pulled two chairs off of the closest table. He sat down and noticed his nephew's stare. He patted on the seat of the free chair and called to the boy.

"Sit," he instructed, giving the boy a small smile.

Jess groaned and reluctantly made his way over to the chair. He plopped down next to the man and stuffed his hands into his pockets. He could really use a cigarette right now. Fingers fumbling, he slid down in his seat and looked over toward his uncle.

"Jess, what's up?" Luke inquired. Jess rolled his eyes. Luke watched. He couldn't understand why Jess was so reluctant to talk with him. He had thought they had gotten closer since the boy's arrival, close enough that the boy would open up to him now and then. Maybe he was wrong but it was at least worth a shot to try. "Come on, Jess," the boy shifted uncomfortably in his chair at the sound of his name, "Why can't you tell me?"

Jess let out a snicker and slid down farther into his chair, "It's not that I can't tell you, Luke, it's just that I don't want to."

"Why not, Jess?" Luke questioned. His nephew's sardonic response had been painful for the man to hear. Why did he not want to tell him, did he not trust him? He wanted so bad to be there for his nephew, but Jess wouldn't let him.

"Because," Jess repeated, "I just don't want to." The boy tried to appear complacent, but in his eyes, Luke could see the despair, the repressed torture. There was a problem, and it was like Jess to try to mask it. In that moment, Luke wanted nothing more than to wipe the mask off his nephew's face and hold the boy close, telling him that everything was going to be alright, that whatever had this hold on him, he would make it go away, he would protect him.

Jess pushed his chair in and stood up slowly. "I'm going to go upstairs," he announced to his uncle, motioning towards the stairs. Luke studied the boy for a brief moment before nodding.

"Yeah," Luke knew there was nothing more he would get out of the boy that night, "Go on." Jess began to walk.

Luke watched as his nephew slowly made his way to the stairs, disappearing quickly behind the curtain. Luke let out a sigh and rubbed his temples. This was killing him. He couldn't stand seeing his nephew like this. He couldn't take just sitting by, pretending to buy Jess' disaffected act, and letting the problem go unsolved. He was supposed to fix things, he always fixed things. He wanted so badly to fix this, but he couldn't. He couldn't find a solution when he didn't know the problem. He shook his head. Whatever the case, he wasn't going to let himself stand idly by while his nephew was clearly not alright. He wasn't going to let something happen to that boy, especially when he could stop it.

* * *

Jess fell onto his bed, his body exhausted. He needed sleep more than anything right then. He turned on his stereo, Sex Pistols blasting from the speakers. He had the stereo almost on full volume, but the loud music still couldn't drown the demons out. He had decided he would go that extra notch on the dial that night on the way home. Not the most pragmatic idea, he knew, but it was worth a try. He turned the volume knob to its limit, the music now blaring out of the speakers. He pulled his blankets over his body and shut his eyes, trying to concentrate on the music, hoping his mind would stick with the lyrics rather than his terrible pressing memories. He began to drift off after a minute of _Holidays In The Sun_, the music lulling him to sleep.

The music was suddenly shut off, Johnny Rotten being cut off mid sentence. The room went silent and Jess pulled his blankets off his body. He sat up and looked up towards his uncle, the man standing above him, his arms crossed. He could tell Luke wasn't too pleased.

"Why'd you turn my music off?" he asked his uncle, "I need it to sleep." He'd been living here for a while now, the man should at least know that.

"The thing was on full volume. You trying to go deaf?" Luke questioned, outraged. Walking into his apartment after a hard day's night to hear that music was not exactly the homecoming he had wanted. "You know, you're not the only person who lives in this apartment."

"Why, thanks for pointing out the obvious there, Uncle Luke," the boy sneered. Luke just didn't understand, he _needed _that music, he needed Johnny Rotten's voice to yell _God Save the Queen_ as loud as it could. It was the only way he'd get any rest.

"Jess, you can listen to your music, but not that loud," Luke told his nephew as he made his way over to the couch. He sat down and looked back over to at the boy, Jess watching him with a hard glare, his arms now crossed. Did Luke want him to have another nightmare? Did the man want to put him through another horrific flashback?

"I'd rather not lose my hearing." His uncle added after a moments pause. He turned his attention to the television and turned the box on. Jess watched as he flipped quickly through channels before settling on an old rerun of _Leave It To Beaver_.

Jess turned his stereo back on, the song blaring at full blast. He received a quick warning glance from his uncle, the man turning his attention from the old show to him. Jess reluctantly turned down the volume and looked up towards his uncle. The man nodded at him in approval, causing the boy to roll his eyes. Luke turned his attention back to Beaver and his parents. Jess grabbed his covers and pulled them back over himself. He adjusted himself into a comfortable position and shut his eyes.

"Why are you going to bed so early anyway? Luke asked, glancing over at the boy for a brief second. Jess opened his eyes, irritated, and sat back up. He let out an annoyed sigh and glared at the man.

"Oh, I don't know, because I just love laying on my crappy air mattress for hours on end," he rolled his eyes. Would Luke just let him be? He was exhausted and he wanted to get some rest before he got to stage 3 sleep. "I'm tired, Luke," he told the man matter-of-factly.

"Alright," his uncle nodded, looking back at the television. Jess laid down and pulled the covers over himself once more. Luke looked over at his nephew once again and studied him. He wanted to know so badly what was wrong, he hated having sit there unknowingly, no way to fix whatever had the boy so vexed. "And Jess," he added, the boy opening his eyes to look towards the man, his body wrapped up tightly in sheets, "If you ever need to talk--"

"You're here, got it," he mumbled, exhausted. He propped himself up a bit with his elbow, "But unless you want to talk about counting sheep, there's nothing to talk about. Good night." Jess laid back down.

He shut his eyes and concentrated on the music once again. He hoped that the lyrics or melody would somehow block out the dreams and make sure he didn't have to see Ron or any of his mother's boyfriends ever again. It was an unlikely reality though.

* * *

Thank you all so much for reading!

I don't know if I'll be able to update the next chapter this weekend, but I will try to get it up.

Please, please, please review! I really appreciate it!


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

Sorry it took me so long to get this up! I was going to post it up on Monday but FanFiction wouldn't let me sign in.

Thank you all for the wonderful reviews and favorite adds! I really appreciate it and I'm so glad you guys like the story!

Well, here is Chapter Five. I hope you guys like it!

Please review!

* * *

_An eleven year old boy was pushed forcefully against a wall, his mother's newest boyfriend, Tommy, towering over him._

"_What'd you say to me, boy?" the man asked, pushing Jess once more, the kid's eyes wide. Jess stood mute, too scared to respond. "You didn't just tell me 'no,' did you?" he grabbed the child's wrist, pulling him off the wall, "Did you?"_

_Jess shook his head frantically. He tried to break free from the man's grasp, but Tommy just held on tighter._

_The man smirked and shook the boy fiercely. "You little liar!" he yelled, smacking the boy in the face, "What'd I tell you about talking back, especially to me?"_

_Jess shook his head feverishly and shut his eyes. He didn't want to think about what the man said, he didn't want to be whipped again._

"_Jess!" Tommy yelled, smacking him again, "What did I say?"_

"_No," he mumbled, his voice scared and childish, his head still shaking, "I'm sorry!"_

"_That ain't going to cut it this time, boy," he spat, shaking the child once again, "I'm not your mother. A stupid little apology isn't going to make everything all better, it isn't going to make me just let this slide."_

"_I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" he apologized again. Tommy hit him hard in the face, causing the boy to stumble back._

"_Shut up, kid!" he barked, pushing Jess towards the wall, "It's about time someone taught you some discipline." The man's hands stretched out to grab him, catching him by the hair._

Jess sat quickly up in bed, breathing rapidly. He looked around the apartment, sighing as he noticed Luke sleeping in his bed, relief falling over him. It was a dream, he had to remember that. Tommy was gone, he wasn't in New York anymore. He was with Luke, it was safe, his uncle wasn't like all the other men that had been in his life. Luke was safe, he would never hurt him like all the others did.

Jess pushed the blankets off his sweaty body and stood up slowly, his body shaking. He grabbed a blanket off the top of the pile and wrapped it around himself. He was freezing. He slowly made his way to the kitchen and over to the cupboard. He grabbed a cup and filled it with cold water. The boy took a long swig of the liquid and sighed. He was definitely not sleeping again tonight, he was afraid that if he drifted off the dream would continue where it left off. Jess didn't want to relive that moment ever again. He walked over to the table and sat down, placing the cup a few inches away from him. He ran a hand through his messy hair and looked over at the clock.

"One thirty-eight," he moaned to himself, resting his head on the cool table, "You've got to be kidding me."

He knew he needed rest, but there was no way he would let himself go back to sleep. He turned his attention back to where Luke slept, the man snoring loudly. That was going to drive him insane. He could not listen to the man's loud and frequent snoring all night. With a sigh, Jess stood up from his spot and walked over to his bed, grabbing a book off the large pile sitting next to it. If he was going to stay up all night, why not catch up on some reading? He smirked.

He unlocked the apartment door and headed down the stairs, deciding the diner would be the perfect spot for him to read. Far enough away from his uncle's snoring but not out in the freezing cold. He pulled a chair from off one of the tables nearest to the stairs and sat down. Adjusting the blanket wrapped around his body, he opened the book and began to read. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

Lorelai banged on the diner door, the chilly morning air causing her to shiver. Rory stood next to her, her hands stuffed in her coat pockets, a scarf and hat protecting her from the cold. Lorelai had forgotten those two essential items that morning as Rory rushed her out the door, the girl insisting they get to Luke's bright and early for freshly brewed coffee.

Lorelai banged her fist against the glass, "Come on, Luke," she moaned, rubbing her hands together to warm them up. She banged even harder, hoping that maybe this time the man would hear her and let her and her cold daughter into the restaurant before they froze to death.

"Mom," Lorelai looked towards her daughter, the girl pointing towards the corner of the diner, her finger pressed against the glass, "Who is that?" It only took a moment for the person to process. "Jess?" Lorelai followed her daughter's finger to the sight of a figure sitting at one of the tables. The figure's head was resting on the table, his arms covering his face from view. A blanket was wrapped around the skinny form, his black hair and frail arms the only parts of his body visible.

Luke suddenly appeared from behind the curtain, coming to a quick halt as he spotted his nephew sleeping at the table. He moved a few steps closer to the figure and peered closer at his nephew.

Lorelai banged on the glass once again, causing Luke to avert his gaze from the boy over to her. She pointed to the handle and Luke nodded his head. He made his way over to the door and unlocked it. Turning the handle and opening the door, he let the two girls in.

"Jess is--" Luke motioned over to the slouched figure at the corner table with his thumb.

"A classic Sleeping Beauty," Lorelai cut in, nodding her head and glancing over at the boy quickly, "Yeah, I see that, but what I'm really wondering is why."

Luke shrugged, the man completely oblivious as to what was going on with his nephew. Lorelai didn't have much of a clue either, but the events at the bridge gave her some suspicion.

"He's going to be sore when he wakes up," Rory commented, looking over at Luke and her mother. She had already moved to Jess' sleeping form and was studying him carefully. Lorelai and Luke made their way over to the table and stood next to Rory. Rory noticed a book lying open on the table. She carefully grabbed the book, making sure not to stir her friend, and turned to the cover. Her heart raced.

"_A Tale Of Two Cities," _she read aloud, a smile forming on her lips, "Good book." She looked back at the boy. Her smile vanished. "Is he okay...?"

Lorelai studied the boy's sleeping form. She noticed he was fidgeting uncomfortably, his head frantically moving to rest on the other cheek. Whatever was going on in his sleep was not pleasing to the boy. She looked back over towards her daughter, the distress in Rory's eyes apparent. There was something about her whenever she was around Jess. Lorelai couldn't explain it. Nonetheless, watching the boy herself, the mother came up with her own conclusions. The boy's fidgeting form brought back flashes of what had happened the other day. She didn't want to think about that, she didn't want to think about the way the kid flinched, the fear in his eyes.

"Should we wake him up?" Luke finally asked, looking to Lorelai for an answer. The man was unsure of what to do. He knew he had to open the diner, and one person working all the tables would not be good for the morning rush. He sighed. All the same, the kid was definitely in need to sleep. If the boy had stayed up all night the same way he had the night before, then Luke didn't want to disturb the boy's well-needed rest no matter how tumultuous it looked.

"Yeah," Lorelai merely nodded, keeping her gaze away from the boy, her eyes focused on the ground. "Go ahead, Prince Charming."

Luke nodded and laid a hand on his nephew's shoulder. "Jess," he spoke softly, nudging him gently, "Jess?"

His nephew shot up, eyes wide. Jess quickly pushed his chair back and stood up, his back hitting the wall. Luke had woken him up from another nightmare, this one about Ron again. Luke's hand had oddly been laid in the same place as Ron's was in the dream, the man shaking him by the shoulders roughly. It had been the time Ron had heard him call the man an asshole. It hadn't been the best idea, at least not for him.

"Jess, calm down," Luke tried soothing the boy, confused as to why his nephew had reacted that way, "It's just me." He didn't understand why Jess had jumped back to his touch, nor why the boy seemed so...scared. It frightened Luke and oddly reminded him of last night. The way his nephew had looked, the vibes he gave off. He was giving off the same vibes, this time much more stronger though.

Jess looked over to Luke then quickly over to the two Gilmores. He let out a sigh and forced himself to try and relax. It wasn't real, he reminded himself, it was just a dream. He would never see Ron again. He was with Luke, Luke would protect him. He ran a shaky hand through his disheveled hair and looked towards the ground. He was still a bit jumpy, the dream just not wanting to leave his mind. He tried to hide how shaken he was from the diner's occupants, especially Luke. He didn't want to worry the man.

"You startled me," Jess finally spoke, his voice mumbled and uncomfortable. His eyes stayed focused on the floor, trying to avoid eye contact with his uncle and the two Gilmores. He couldn't let them see how startled he truly was, he couldn't let them see how scared he still felt. His usual mantra never seemed to work, it never fully calmed him down. He tried to come up with a smart response, settling on, "What is this? A welcoming party?"

"Jess, you looked a lot more than startled," Lorelai stated, concern in her eyes. She wondered if Luke knew what Jess had confessed to her the day before. Knowing Jess though, the man probably knew nothing, and the man was probably as clueless to what had caused his nephew to jump as Rory was. Lorelai wasn't completely sure, but she had a good idea. The memories of his traumatic childhood were haunting him.

"Jess, why were you sleeping down here?" Rory cut in. Jess took a deep breath and looked up shyly at the girl. He really hadn't wanted Rory to see him like this, his apathetic mask removed, revealing emotions that he hated to show. He didn't want her to see him so defenseless.

"I was reading," he stated, eyeing his book in Rory's small hands. His uncle quickly glanced over to the book then back to the boy, "And I-I guess I just fell asleep." Jess shrugged and ran a quick hand through his hand.

"Dickens is hard to get through," Rory acknowledged. "You have to be especially alert if you're reading _A Tale of Two Cities_." She was quiet for a moment, looking down. She couldn't shake her worry. She cared too much. "Are you...are you sure you're okay, Jess?" she finally asked.

Luke didn't give him time to answer. "Why were you reading down here in the middle of the night?" Luke asked, crossing his arms. This was worrying the man more and more: Jess was not acting like himself at all. He needed to know why, he had to know why. He couldn't take seeing his nephew so distraught like this, it was killing him.

"Because you snore too loud," Jess apathetically stated, grabbing his blanket from off the ground. "I'll go get dressed and help you down here. I'm fine." Rory handed Jess his book and the boy rushed up the stairs, leaving the three others behind.

"Well," Rory started, a little hurt, looking over to her mother, then to Luke, "That was...interesting. Should I talk to him?"

Rory's question remained unanswered, Lorelai looking over at her friend, the same worried expression plastered on his face as on hers.

* * *

Jess hurried around the diner, placing plates on tables and filling coffee mugs. He had to drink about five cups of coffee to get him awake enough to even keep balanced. Waking up that morning after sleeping in a stiff metal chair had caused his muscles to go sore. He was thankful that he hadn't screamed when he woke up; he was having another nightmare when Luke woke him. The absence of the scream, however, couldn't hide his jumpiness. Of course, Lorelai and Rory just had to be there to witness it, those two clung to the diner like leeches.

"Jess," a small voice greeted him from behind. The boy nearly jumped up, turning around to see Rory behind him, adorned in her school uniform. He frowned, turning around. "Can we talk for a minute?"

"I'm kind of busy..." He looked over to the other Gilmore, who was waving her coffee mug, watching her daughter like a hawk.

"It'll only be a minute, I promise," the girl swore, looking toward the window. "My bus is coming anyway. Please Jess?"

He sighed and set the pot down, he couldn't deny Rory, not when she looked at him with those pleading blue eyes. He followed the girl outside. From across the room, Lorelai and Luke's eyes met.

Standing outside the diner, Rory shifted her feet nervously, loafers brushing the sidewalk. She frowned, trying to find the words to say. Jess simply tried to stay awake for them. The last thing he wanted at this point was a heart-to-heart with her--the only person next to Luke that he gave a damn about in this town.

"Jess," she finally announced, her voice quiet. "What's going on? The way you looked this morning--you were shaking in your sleep. My mother and Luke, they've never acted like this. They're--I'm worried, that's all. This isn't you."

"Well, there's nothing to be worried about," he nonchalantly admitted, trying to appear apathetic. It was no easy feat. Staring into her big blue eyes, he found it harder to lie. He could do it to Luke easy, but to someone like Rory? He held back a sigh. She couldn't know the real him. He had to try.

"Are you sure?" she inquired, looking toward where the bus came. Jess smiled to himself. He had never been so thankful to see a bus in his entire life.

"Yeah, I'm sure," he assured her. "Now off to school! We can discuss this Dickens later--"

"Wait, Jess," she started, eyes nervously shifting from the bus stop to him. "If something is wrong, you know that you can tell me. I'll listen or...if you can't tell me, at least tell Luke. He's really worried."

Jess sighed and stuffed his hands in his pockets, "Everything's fine," the boy shook his head. What was it going to take to convince her--let alone Luke--that he was alright?

"Just promise me you'll talk to him if something's wrong." Rory stared into her friend's brown eyes, trying to find some hint of the emotions she had seen from him that morning, some clue as to if he was actually alright or not. Nothing. She saw nothing. His apathetic mask hid his true feelings too well.

"Nothing's wrong," he interjected. Her stare was becoming increasingly painful for Jess to bear. He just wanted this conversation to end. This had to be the first time that he'd ever wanted to blue eyed girl to leave him be. "Besides," he added, "don't you have a bus to catch?" He motioned to the bus stopped across the street.

"Yes, but..." Rory shut her eyes, collecting herself. "I'm not going until you promise me," she playfully slammed her loafer, smirking. Jess chuckled. She looked back at him, expression changing. "I'm serious, Jess Mariano--just promise me."

"Fine, fine, I promise," Jess shrugged. "Now go to school. I wouldn't want to be the reason for your first tardy. Anyway, I've gotta get back to work."

"I'll hold you to it..." she tauntingly threatened, walking away. The girl smiled as she turned her head away from the boy. She felt a bit relieved after their conversation, but she still couldn't help but be worried about her friend.

"Like hell you will," Jess mumbled to himself, watching her rush towards bus stop. He shook his head and reentered the diner, grabbing the pot off the table where he had left it. Lorelai, who had watched the interaction, shut her eyes. Rory didn't know what she was dealing with. She had to take matters into her own hands.

"Jess, could you refill my mug?" she called, causing the boy to look over at her from his place a few steps away. He maneuvered around tables and walked up to the woman, filling her cup. He had been trying to avoid her all morning--Rory was one thing, Lorelai was another. He couldn't look the mother in the eyes after she saw him so emotional, his defense down.

"Thanks," the woman smiled, fingering the handle of the mug. Jess mumbling a quick 'you're welcome' in return, making sure to keep his eyes low to the ground, to avoid any unwanted eye contact. He turned around to quickly walk off, feeling that maybe he was in the clear.

"Jess, wait," Her call caused his heart to fall, the boy stopping in his tracks. He kept his back to her, thinking that maybe if he didn't force his body to turn to face the woman, she'd just leave him alone. "Jess!" Lorelai called again. Jess reluctantly turned around and crossed his arms, "Sit." she motioned to the chair across from her, giving the boy a friendly smile.

"I've got to work," he stated, motioning to the partially empty diner with his free hand. He really wanted to avoid this conversation he knew Lorelai wanted to have, he couldn't handle it right then. He was exhausted and worn out. The last thing he needed was another Gilmore.

"Luke can handle it for a minute," she told the boy, giving him a smile, "I promise it won't be long, I just need to talk to you."

Jess sighed and reluctantly made his way over to the table. He sat down in the chair across from the woman and placed the coffee pot on the table between them. He crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair, "What did you want to talk about?" he asked with a sigh.

"I saw Rory talking to you. She doesn't know what's going on with you. None of us do. But yesterday," she spoke shyly, "At the bridge--Jess, I'm sorry that you had to deal with that. I mean, it must have been so hard, does Luke know?"

"Know about what?" Jess asked, leaning forward a bit in his seat. He had decided to act as if nothing had happened. He really hadn't told her anything in the first place. He never spoke the phrase 'I was abused' aloud. He wanted them to stay clueless.

"About, you know...?" she didn't want to say it aloud, the town was full of eavesdroppers and Lorelai knew that the boy would not want this information being spread.

"No, I don't know, what?" Jess asked, spitting the last word out with a viscous tone. He hadn't told her anything. She was just assuming something had happened. Even if in reality something had happened, she didn't have any right to know about it. She was just some crazy inn keeper who lived in a small town, it wasn't her business.

"About your mother's boyfriends hitting you," she whispered, leaning closer to him to make sure no one else would hear.

"I never said that," Jess stated, his voice fierce, "You can't just assume that."

"Jess, it was pretty apparent in your facial expression." she informed, placing her hands against the edge of the table, still leaning towards him, "I could tell, I know it happened. It's nothing to be ashamed of, Jess. It wasn't your fault."

"You don't know anything," Jess spat. He stood up, pushing his chair back forcefully and grabbed the coffee pot from off the table. He began to walk off, gripping the handle of the pot tightly, trying to keep his anger in check.

"Jess--" Lorelai called, stopping the boy in his tracks. Dammit, he thought, wouldn't the woman just drop it already? Why did everyone around here have to be some goddamn concerned about him? First Luke, then Rory, now even his worst enemy was shedding tears for him!

"Drink your coffee and leave me alone," he growled as he walked off. Lorelai watched as he headed over to a table across the room to serve another customer.

* * *

Thank you so much for reading! I hope you guys all liked it!

I'll try and update as soon as possible. In the meantime, please review!

I really love to here what you all think about the story and my writing and I really appreciate it!

:)


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

Sorry I haven't been able to reply to all of your reviews, I've been kind of busy the last couple of days. I really appreciate them all!

Kind of short chapter, but the next one is pretty long.

Enjoy! And please review!

* * *

Luke paced around the apartment, trying to figure out how he would start his third attempt at talking to his nephew. He didn't know exactly what was going on with the boy, but many possible theories had crossed his mind in the last few days.

Jess had left after his shift earlier that day, the boy wandering off, probably to go read somewhere, giving Luke some time to collect his thoughts and come up with an opening statement for their future conversation. He had yet to do either thus far, his concern for his nephew overpowering his attempts to come up with an organized argument. He just wanted to know what was wrong; he couldn't understand why Jess had to always hide things from him. It was torturous to know that something was bothering his nephew, and he couldn't do anything to help him.

Jess suddenly entered the apartment, his eyes glued to the page of yet another the book. He shut the door, his eyes never leaving the page he was on. He didn't seem to notice his uncle pacing back and forth, Jess' mind trapped in the book.

Dammit, Luke thought, he still hadn't figured out what he was going to start with. He needed five more minutes, _then_ Jess could come in and hear his readied statement. He let out a soft sigh. He knew he would never be fully prepared with some sort of argument. His mind was too caught up in the dozens of explanations for his nephew's behavior that he had devised. He finally decided just to go with whatever explanation crossed his mind and spoke up.

"Jess, are you on drugs?"

Jess looked up from his book, a little taken back. After a moment to process the ridiculous statement, the boy started laughing. "Are you asking that seriously?" he inquired as he closed his book, a smirk plastered on his face.

"I don't know," Luke continued to pace around the room, "It would explain your odd behavior lately and unusual sleeping patterns." The man sighed and ran a hand through his hair. That wasn't really the best way to start the conversation. He was hoping he'd be a little more subtle and ease his way into his theories of what was going on with Jess. Maybe he should have started with a 'hey, how are you' instead of his almost accusing statement.

"I'm not on drugs Luke, relax," Jess stated, sitting down on the couch and opening his book again, "I'm not like Liz." He glanced up towards the man for a brief second before looking back down at the open page. He hoped Luke didn't think he was like his mother, he'd seen her overdose way too many times to ever go anywhere near anything other than alcohol and nicotine.

"I know you're not," Luke sighed and stopped pacing. He took a seat next to his nephew, "It's just, I don't understand what could possibly be wrong with you. Drugs seemed like one of the only logical explanation."

Jess let out a sigh and shut his book. Hadn't he told his uncle to drop this? He turned towards the geezer and heaved a long sigh, "There's nothing wrong. Don't worry yourself over nothing, I'm fine. How many times do I have to tell you that?"

"It's not nothing! You've been acting really off for the last couple of days," Luke spoke, taking his baseball cap off and running a hand through his hair, "The way you looked last night, Jess--I can tell whatever it is that is going on with you is torturing you." Luke looked over at his nephew, "I'm your guardian and your uncle so I can't help but worry, it's in the job description." He gave the kid a weak smile, the boy looking up and returning the gesture.

Jess leaned back on the couch and rubbed his temples, "Sometimes I wonder how you and Liz could possibly be related," he laughed and looked towards his uncle, "You guys are polar opposites. If I was still with Liz she would have dropped this the second I told her I was fine. She may have not even noticed anything in the first place."

Luke watched as the boy stood up and threw his book onto his pile. Jess sighed and gave the man a mocking smile, "Can you just believe that I'm fine and drop it already? Be like Liz for once." He grabbed a pair of flannel pajama pants and a white shirt from off his bed and headed towards the bathroom.

"No!" Luke courageously stated, standing up and following the boy. Jess turned around to face his uncle as he reached the bathroom doorframe, his arm crossed. "I will not be like my drug-addicted, abusive, no-life sister and choose to ignore that something is wrong with you. I'm worried, Jess, why can't you just talk to me about what's bothering you?"

"Harsh, Luke. Who's next on your hit list? The Gilmores? Oh wait, you and Lorelai..." The boy stopped. "I'm going to shower," Jess cooly told his uncle. He walked into the bathroom and shut the door.

"Jess!" Luke called from behind the door, banging on it with his fists, "Jess!" His nephew was not going to just walk away from this, nor was he going to pretend that everything was fine.

The boy simply ignored him and turned the water on, letting the sound of it rushing out of the faucet drown his uncle's calls out. He took off his shirt, his eyes falling down to the long scars on his torso. They were a regular sight by now, they'd been there since he was seven, but the always tended to send shivers down his spine. He'd never forget that whipping, oh, Tommy had made sure of that. Jess heard Luke call his name once again, a loud bang on the door following.

Jess sighed, Luke just didn't get it. He almost wanted to tell the man what had happened, feeling that maybe somewhere in the banter Luke could make it all better, make the scars disappear. That just wasn't the case. The cold water from the facet hit his hands, awakening him to the harsh reality: _nothing_ could make the traumatic beatings of his childhood disappear, nothing could make those memories go away. Besides, he couldn't tell anyone about it, he couldn't let anyone know that at one point he was weak little _Jessie_. He was ashamed.

Jess heard his uncle bang on the bathroom door once again, the man's muffled call following. Dammit Luke, Jess tried to compose himself, stop it. He sat down on the toilet lid and placed his head in his hands. He rubbed hard at his temples.

"I'm in the shower," he lied, reaching over and switching the facet, allowing the water to rain down from the shower head, "Just stop it!"

Luke banged on the wooden door harder and harder, trying to make his nephew hear him. He called the boy's name one last time and finished with a final loud bang on the door.

"Dammit, Jess," Luke sighed, leaning against the wall, "Just talk to me."

* * *

Luke watched as his nephew slept, the boy adorned with blankets and sheets. The kid laid peacefully in his make-shift bed, adjusting his body into a comfortable position. Jess hadn't spoken to the man the rest of the night, the boy reading his book until he decided to sleep, stuck in his own little world. Luke's concern for the boy remained persistent, he just couldn't seem to get down to the bottom of the problem. His nephew seemed tired lately, maybe he had some sort of bout with insomnia. That would explain his falling asleep while reading in the diner. He had to scratch that theory though, the boy sleeping now made insomnia an impossible diagnosis.

His nephew's moan snapped Luke quickly out of his thoughts. Luke looked towards the boy, finding him tossing and turning feverishly in his bed. Jess started kicking at his blankets, his left hand clenching his pillow. Luke slowly got up and walked closer to the boy. Was his nephew having a nightmare? He reached down to touch the boy, feeling that maybe a comforting touch would calm him down. He ran his thumb across the boy's cheek, feeling the sweat that was running down them. Jess' eyes opened quickly then squeezed shut as the boy shot up.

"Don't!" the kid yelled, his eyes closed, his hands grasping his blanket. The boy's breathing was fast and panicked, his eyes opening once again and looking straight ahead. The fearful look in the boy's eyes scared Luke, he'd never seen the boy so terrified.

"Jess," Luke called soothingly, "Jess, it's alright." He moved to put a hand on the boy's shoulder, hoping that maybe a soothing gesture might break the boy out of his state.

"No, don't touch me!" Jess yelled, backing out of his bed and scooting as far as he could get from the man. He awkwardly bumped into a wall, the boy instantly grabbing his knees tight to him, trying to make himself as small as possible.

"Jess, it's alright, it was just a dream. You're _awake!_" Luke told the boy, walking a few steps closer to his terrified nephew.

"Don't hurt me!" Jess begged, his voice soft and scared, "Please, I'm sorry." He looked as if he was about to cry, his head rested on his knees, eyes wide with fear.

"Jess, it's me, Luke," he told the boy, confused at the regression, kneeling down in front him, "I'm not going to hurt you."

Jess blinked and slowly relaxed, realizing that he wasn't dreaming anymore. The man standing in front of him wasn't Tommy or Ron or any of the other men who had hurt him, it was Luke. "Shit."

Luke reached out cautiously to touch the boy's cheek. Jess didn't fight his hand away. The boy's breathes were harsh and shaky as he tried to clam himself. Luke quickly grabbed the boy into a hug.

"It's alright," he soothed the boy, holding him tightly, "Everything's alright."

He felt his nephew's hands cling to his shirt as he harsh breaths continued to escape the boy's lungs. Luke held him for a minute, waiting for the boy to calm down, steady his breathes. He felt Jess raged breathes slow as his body began to relax. Jess' hands released their tight grip against his uncle's shirt.

"Tell me everything," the man insisted, running a hand through the boy's messy hair.

* * *

Well, I hope you all liked it.

I'll try and update as soon as possible, like always!

Thanks for reading and please, please, please review!

:)


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

Thank you all so much for the reviews for the last chapter, I'm so happy to hear you guys liked it!

Sorry it took so long to get this chapter up, I've been pretty busy lately.

Enjoy! And please review!

* * *

Jess sat on the couch across from his uncle, a cup of tea in his hands. Luke had offered to make him some, the man trying to break the silence that came after the kid clung to him. Jess' body was still shaking, a blanket wrapped tightly around his arms. He had managed to keep himself from crying, but it was a hard feat. Tommy was the worst of all of Liz's boyfriends yet, that man had almost killed him. That was the past though, he wasn't with his mother anymore, he was with Luke. Luke would never hurt him, Jess just had to keep reminding himself that.

Jess looked up at his uncle, the man sitting on a chair across from the sofa, ready to hear his nephew out. Luke could tell the boy was a bit shaken by his dream still. Hell, he was too. He had never seen his nephew so scared before in his life, it vexed Luke that someone could scare his nephew that much. Whatever happened in that dream, Luke would make sure nothing like it ever happened again. He would protect Jess no matter what it took.

Jess took a sip of his tea and sighed, causing Luke to look the boy's way. "I'm really not good with these heart-to-hearts," he mumbled, looking over at his uncle. The boy looked so childish wrapped in that blanket, the cloth hanging off his shoulders, exposing the boy's skinny, sweaty frame.

"Neither am I," Luke gave the boy a weak smile, "But we've got to talk about this."

Jess sighed once again and adjusted himself on the couch. He grabbed the blanket and wrapped it tight around him. "Well, I've been having nightmares lately," he started, "About things that happened when I was living with Liz. Her boyfriends, they...uh, they--"

"Hit you?" Luke questioned as he cut the boy off. His voice quivered as he spoke the two words. He didn't want it to be true, he didn't want his nephew to answer with a yes.

"Yeah," Jess muttered, Luke's heart almost skipping a beat as he looked at his nephew. The boy looked so small in that moment, his eyes staring at the tea in his mug.

Luke fought to keep his anger hidden, not wanting to scare Jess any more than he already was. He wanted to kill Liz for this. How could she let someone hurt her child, didn't she care at all for Jess' safety? Luke looked at his nephew, the boy sitting criss-cross on the couch, his blanket sliding off his left shoulder. Jess made no move to adjust it. He just sat there, silent and still. After a moment of silence, Luke spoke up. "When was the first time one of them hurt you?" It was painful for him to even ask, but he had to know.

"Six, maybe five, I don't remember the exact age, but I remember what happened," Jess avoided eye contact with his uncle, wishing he had never started the conversation in the first place. He didn't want Luke to know about this, he didn't want anyone to know about this. Why did his nightmares have to come back now?

He let out a sigh and started up again, "It was a few days before summer started," he kept his gaze focused on the floor. "I remember coming to visit you right after it, to go camping," he added, quickly looking up at Luke, waiting for some sort of reaction.

"Why didn't you tell me back then?" Luke asked pained, "Why didn't you ever tell me? When you were little, you came to visit me all the time, why didn't you ever speak up? I could have helped you, Jess, I could have protected you!" Luke couldn't believe he hadn't noticed any signs. He remembered seeing a few bruises on his nephew, but the child always shrugged them off, telling him he fell skateboarding or running around. Oh God, Luke thought, how could he have been so dumb? So obvious?

"I didn't want anyone to know, especially you," Jess spoke softly, in almost a whisper, "Believe it or not, when I was little I thought of you as my hero; I idolized you. That's why I always wanted to come down here. Why would I want the man I look up to to think I was some weak little kid? As I got older, I just became more ashamed of what they did, I still am, so this conversation is pretty hard for me to have with you. If I had it my way, you would have never found out about this, but the world is never in my favor."

"Jess, none of it was your fault," Luke assured his nephew. Jess shook his head, his gaze on the floor. He grabbed his nephew's chin and forced the kid to look up, "None of it was your fault, you did nothing wrong, you understand me?"

"Yeah," Jess spoke after a moment of silence, giving his uncle eye contact for the first time since they had began to talk. Luke released his nephew's chin and gave the boy a comforting smile. Jess stood up from his spot on the couch and grabbed his blanket, it had fallen off his shoulders and onto the couch.

"I'm going to try and get some sleep," Jess told the man shyly. The conversation had worn the boy out and Jess felt completely defenseless after confessing to his uncle. He knew he had to end the conversation, he wouldn't have been able to take anymore talk about it, at least not then.

Luke studied his teenage nephew. Dammit, he couldn't stand seeing Jess like this, so scared and ashamed. Luke would never let anything like that happen to his nephew again, he would never let the kid be as terrified as he had been during that nightmare. Luke stood up and walked over to his nephew, the boy awkwardly standing a few steps away from him. He wrapped his arms protectively around his nephew. Jess flinched slightly at the touch.

"Jess, I promise you that you will never be hit again, you're safe here, I won't let anything happen to you, alright?" Luke told his nephew. He had to make sure Jess knew that. Luke would protect the boy no matter what.

Jess had told himself that over and over after his nightmares, but the mantra never had any affect. For some reason, hearing his uncle speak it aloud, promising him he'd protect him, made the boy finally start to believe it. The man held him tight, one hand resting on the back of his head, the other on his back. He felt safe in his uncle's protective hold, his head resting on the man's chest. He nodded, and Luke released his grip, his hands now resting on the boy's shoulders.

"Try and get some rest, alright?" He asked the boy, running a hand through his nephew's unkempt hair, "If you have a nightmare, I'll be here."

Jess gave the man a small smile and nodded once again. He walked over to his bed and laid down, wrapping his blankets around him. He wasn't worrying about a nightmare though, he felt truly safe knowing his uncle would protect him. He turned on his stereo and shut his eyes, letting The Clash lull him to sleep.

* * *

Lorelai entered the diner the next morning, searching for Luke. She had decided the night before that she had to talk to Luke about what she had found out, if the man didn't know -- which she suspected he didn't -- he needed to know. She felt that maybe the way Jess had been acting lately was connected to it. She spotted the diner owner at the counter, filling up a customer's mug

"Are you going to take a seat or just stand there?" Lorelai turned her attention to the black haired boy standing next to her, two plates of food in his hands, "You're kind of blocking the way."

"Oh, Jess, hi," she greeted the boy, "See you have all your clothes on correctly today."

"Yeah, big accomplishment for me, got a medal and everything," he sardonically spoke, Lorelai moving out of his way so he could place the two orders down at a table behind her.

"I told him everything, he knows about it." Jess whispered casually to the Gilmore as he passed her, making his way behind the counter and into the back of the diner.

Lorelai stared at the spot where Jess had disappeared, a little taken back by his statement. Was he really telling her the truth, she thought, the teenager was definitely not known for his honesty. She just had to talk to Luke, she knew the only way she'd find out if Jess was lying or not was if she had a conversation with the diner owner.

Lorelai walked up to Luke, he stood behind the counter, looking down at an order pad. Luke looked up as he noticed the Gilmore heading his way. He smiled, "Hey Lorelai," he greeted the woman, placing the order pad in his hands onto the countertop, "What can I get you?"

"Coffee to-go, please," she told the man. Luke nodded as he walked off to get the pot and a cup. Jess suddenly emerged from the back of the diner, a plate of food in his hands. He walked past the two friends and made his way to the other side of the diner.

"Jess looks better," Lorelai commented, trying to make conversation, to maybe see if she could prove the boy was telling her the truth.

"Yeah," Luke nodded, "We talked last night." He placed a lid on the coffee cup and handed it over to the woman. Lorelai smiled at the statement, relief falling over her.

"You got James Dean to talk, in more than one syllable words?" she teased, "That's a feat."

"After we talked he was out cold, didn't even wake up," he smiled as Lorelai took a sip of her coffee. He was relieved that the nightmares didn't return after their talk, it gave the kid some well-deserved rest.

"So no late night reading binges in the diner?" she asked. She had to admit, finding Jess sleeping in the diner, a blanket wrapped around his skinny frame, was quite an interesting sight, but it wasn't the best thing for the kid to be doing.

"No," Luke chuckled. Jess walked up to the two, causing them both to stare in his direction. He grabbed the coffee pot near Luke and looked at the man.

"I need this," he mumbled. Luke nodded, giving the boy permission to take the coffee pot. Jess rushed off towards the tables, filling the cups of Babette and Miss Patty. The two sat at opposite tables, their backs facing each other.

"I heard you spilled coffee all over Patty yesterday," Babette spoke up as Jess finsihed pouring her coffee. Jess looked up at her, almost surprised; he had completely forgotten about the incident, the events from last night clouding his memory.

"Technically it was on the table," Jess told the woman. Miss Patty turned to join in on the conversation, a bright smile adorning her features.

"He was thinking about a _girl_," Miss Patty emphasized the word as if it was some sort of sexual phrase. Jess rolled his eyes at the way she spoke it.

Babette nodded in realization and gave Jess a smirk.

"Who's the lucky lady?" She asked, winking. Jess held back a snort and crossed his arms.

"Rory Gilmore," he dryly replied. The boy walked off, leaving the two confused woman to chat. He handed Luke the pot as he arrived at the counter and leaned his elbows against the solid surface.

"Could I possibly take my break now?" Jess asked the man, leaning forward with his elbows. He'd worked since opening that morning, that was more than enough work out of him for a while. He needed a cigarette to recuperate from the crazy townsfolk he had had to serve during the breakfast rush.

"Yeah, sure," Luke told the boy, nodding, "Just be back before three, I'll need help with the early dinner rush, it is Saturday."

"Yeah, I'll be back," he nodded, walking off towards the door, "Oh," he turned around to face the two, a smirk on his face, "And Lorelai? I see myself more as Holden Caulfield. James Dean is just so cliché."

Lorelai stared at the boy, Jess' hand now gripping the handle of the door, the proud smirk still shinning on his face.

"Bye, Jess," Luke told the boy, motioning for him to leave.

"See you later, Uncle Luke," he nodded, twisting the knob and walking out the door, leaving the two lovers-in-denial to chat amongst themselves.

"Oh, that kid seems a lot better," Lorelai commented. Luke chuckled at the statement. It was true, Jess seemed to be back to his normal jeering self once again. Luke was glad the two had had that talk, even though it was hard for Jess to talk about, it was good he finally told someone. Luke vowed to himself that he would protect his nephew, he'd never let anyone ever hurt that kid again. He was going to have to call Liz later, talk to his incompetent sister about what Jess had confessed. He couldn't believe his sister would let this happen to her son.

"I should get back to work," He told the Gilmore, Jess' departure leaving the few customers in the diner in need of a server. Lorelai nodded and took her coffee from off the table.

"Yeah, I'll see you later," Lorelai handed Luke the money for her coffee and exited the diner. She began looking eagerly around, trying to spot that familiar black gelled hair. After minutes of searching the town square she finally spotted Jess sitting on a bench near the gazebo, a cigarette gracing his lips. He held a book open with his right hand while two fingers on his left grabbed the cancer stick out from in between his lips. The boy exhaled smoke.

She walked up to the kid, causing him to gaze up at her. He stared at her for a few seconds before looking back down at his book.

"I won't tell anyone about it," she spoke, causing Jess to look up at her once again, "I'm happy you told him though, he needed to know."

"Yeah," Jess nodded, shutting his book slightly, his thumb keeping the page he was on marked, "He did."

Lorelai nodded. After sharing a few brief awkward glances with the teenager, Lorelai watched as Jess opened his book, resuming where he had left off. Lorelai took that as her cue to leave and began to walk off.

"You didn't tell her, did you?" he asked, his eyes still glued to the page, acting as if the question wasn't anything. Lorelai stopped and turned to face the boy, knowing exactly who 'her' was.

"No, I didn't tell her," she assured the boy. She knew Jess wouldn't want anyone to know about this, especially Rory. "It wasn't her business, nor was it really mine. I just kind of happened to find out."

"Thanks for not telling," Jess said, glancing up at the woman shyly. Lorelai smiled down at him.

"It wasn't your fault, I'm guessing Luke's told you that a million times already, but no one deserves to be beaten." Lorelai told the boy. Jess turned his gaze back to the book.

"I know," he nodded. He was starting to get antsy; it felt even more uncomfortable to be talking about this with Lorelai. His uncle was hard enough, but Lorelai made things just feel so much more awkward. Hopefully after a few days things would cool off and the weird vibes he felt from both Lorelai and Luke would disappear.

"Well, I've got to get to work," she told the kid. Jess simply nodded and turned the page, his mind caught back up in his book. She watched as he placed the cigarette between his lips, almost naturally, and inhaled. He released the smoke through his nose, his mind still fully focused on the words typed on the page.

Lorelai smiled as she began to walk off. Smoking was as natural as breathing was to the boy, he could do it without even thinking about it. He reminded her almost of her when she was younger, in her teenage years she was quite the chain smoker. That kid was growing on her, she realized, he wasn't as bad as she had originally made him out to be.

* * *

Thank you all so much for reading. I hope you all liked it!

I'll try and update as soon as possible. Next chapter should be the last chapter.

Thank you again for reading and please, please, please review!

:)


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, as usual!**

Thank you all so much for the reviews for last chapter, I really appreciate it.

Sorry it took me so long to get this chapter up, I was super sick the first half of this week.

Well, I hope you all enjoy the last chapter!

Please review!

:)

* * *

Rory entered the diner, the bell ringing above the door. She eagerly looked around, trying to spot the familiar black gelled hair. Her mind had been stuck on Jess since their small chat the day before. It pained her to see her friend so off, and she was really worried about him. Sadly, she hadn't had time to come to the diner that morning, she had promised that time to Dean. The time with her boyfriend hadn't been bad, really, but every time she looked at him, she was thinking of Jess. Was he okay? What had he meant yesterday? No matter how much she tried to pay attention to Dean, her mind couldn't get off her black haired friend.

She made her way over to the counter and sat down on a stool. Luke walked out from the back, two plates filled with food in his hands, giving her a smile. She watched as he placed the plates down in front of two hungry customers before he headed behind the counter.

"Hi," she greeted him cheerfully, resting her elbows against the countertop. She took another quick glance around the diner, trying to spot Jess.

"He's upstairs" Rory snapped her head back towards Luke. The diner owner pointed towards the stairs with his thumb, a smirk on his face.

"Oh," she nodded, glancing over towards the curtain before looking back towards Luke, "How is he?"

"He's...good," Luke hadn't really spoken to his nephew since their conversation the night before. Sure, they had a few brief interactions, the usual sarcastic banter, but he and the boy hadn't really talked about how he was since the night before. In Luke's eyes, his nephew seemed much better, less tense and more at ease. Sure, he knew Jess felt a bit exposed since their talk the night before, but he felt like the talk was really what the boy needed. He needed someone to open up to, that secret was a hard burden to carry alone.

Rory smiled and glanced back over towards the curtain. For some odd reason, she was dying to see her friend. She had been so worried and she had felt like she should have been with him, helped him in some way. She wanted to be with Jess the whole time she was with - - no, she had wanted to be with Dean, she had. She was just worried about Jess, that was it. Her friend was troubled and she wanted to help him, wanted to be with him. There was no other reason than that, right? The thought continued to bother her as she looked up the stairs.

"You can go up if you want," Luke caught her attention with the suggestion, her head quickly turning to look at the man. Her cheeks turned a light pink and she stood up.

"Alright," she nodded, taking a few steps back, "Thanks, Luke." She gave the man a quick smile before making her way quickly towards the stairs. She pushed the curtain aside and headed up to Luke's apartment. She could hear music blasting from the door. She smiled.

"The Clash," she mumbled to herself. She could hear 'The Guns Of Brixton' playing loudly. Stepping towards the door, she grasped the handle. She could see her friend's blurred form sitting on his mattress, a book in his hand. She turned the handle and opened the door, Jess perking up at the sound of its creaking.

As Jess saw the blue-eyed girl enter the room, a smile appeared on his face. He had first thought it was Luke, his uncle had been coming up a lot lately, but Rory was quite a pleasant sight. He shut his book and placed it on the ground.

"Hi," she spoke first, giving Jess a smile. She shifted from heel to heel as she watched the boy smile at her.

"What brings a girl like you up to a place like this?" he teased, giving his friend a smirk.

Rory was flustered, "I thought I'd risk the danger to see how you were." She took a few steps closer to Jess and sat down next to him. "And from what I can see, you look much better," she smiled, "Less corpse-like."

Jess chuckled, "I was going for a new look. Thought since the cadaverous look didn't seem to work too well for me I'd try out a more lively appearance," he smirked, "Glad to see you like it."

"It's very suiting," she acknowledged. She looked over to the pile of books that sat near his bed, "You get through that lengthy Dickens yet?" she sweetly inquired, picking up the book that sat at his bed.

"Making my way through it," he watched as she opened the book, skimming the pages.

She shut the book and handed it over to Jess, "So," she lingered on the word, "I came to see if you kept your promise." Jess placed the book back down on his bed.

"You did, didn't you?" He only smirked in response. She pushed a strand of hair behind her ears and watched him carefully, waiting for an answer.

"Well...did you?" she asked, watching her friend pull a cigarette out of his pocket. He placed the stick in-between his lips.

"I promised, didn't I?" he pulled out a lighter and flicked it open, an orange flame igniting and lighting the end of the stick. He took a drag and smiled at her, "I keep my promises."

She watched as Jess inhaled and exhaled, a cloud of smoke escaping his lungs. Her heart raced. She couldn't help but notice how sexy--no, she stopped herself, she couldn't think that, not about Jess. Dean, yes. Jess, no. Jess was just a friend, she couldn't notice those things about him and besides, she had to remind herself, he was smoking a "cancer stick"--not very becoming at all. Dean was her boyfriend, not Jess. She sighed. But she had to admit, there was something about Jess. She wasn't sure whether it was his appearance, his attitude, his eyes, but something about him that lured her. Something that wasn't Dean...

"Rory?" Jess called her name as he waved a hand in her face. Rory blinked and noticed the amused expression on his face.

"Sorry," she quickly apologized as she watched Jess take another drag, a smug smile plastered on his face, "I was just thinking."

Jess chuckled and let out a sigh, "Oh, that prep school of yours," he mockingly shook his head, "Teaching you to think too much."

Rory playfully smacked his arm. Jess laughed and took another drag.

"Don't tell Luke I'm smoking in here," he told the girl, "He's not to keen about my bad habit in the first place."

"I won't," she swore. She watched as Jess stood up and opened the window. He swiftly flicked the stick out the window and turned his attention back to Rory.

"Everything's alright now, right?" she asked. She felt sure that everything was, but she had to hear it from Jess. She had to hear it from her friend's mouth before she could truly believe it was.

"Yes," Jess smiled as Rory stood up, "I'm fine, really." Rory still didn't look too convinced. Jess leaned against his dresser, his hands gripping onto the edge. "I talked to Luke."

Rory smiled at him, her blue eyes gleaming, "Good," she nodded her head, "I'm happy to hear you opened up. Guess you're not a Holden Caulfield completely after all..."

Jess returned the smile and looked down at his watch, "Don't say that," he nonchalantly remarked. A thought suddenly struck him, "Shit," he mumbled, "I've got to get back to work." He walked towards Rory and laid a hand on her back, "Would you like to escort me down the stairs?"

Rory giggled and began to walk with him, "It'd be my honor," she teased as they walked out the door, Jess shutting the diner door behind them.

* * *

Jess sat on the couch in the apartment, a book opened on his lap, the boy holding the pages down with his hands. He had helped Luke with the dinner rush, the man now closing shop downstairs. Jess had offered to help, but Luke had turned him down, suggesting that the kid head upstairs and wait for him. Jess had decided to read as he waited, grabbing a book from his pile and plopping down on the couch. His mind could not concentrate on the typed words though. He was eager to find out if Luke had called Liz. He knew Luke was going to call her, probably yell at her for enabling the abuse. Jess had wondered that time-to-time when he was younger, never quite able to wrap his mind around the way his mother acted. She told him that she loved him, that he was her 'baby,' but she never stopped any of her boyfriends from hitting him. If she loved him so much, why didn't she stop them? He pondered the thought for years, never truly coming up with some logical explanation as to why she didn't stop them. Maybe he just deserved it. Maybe he was truly a bad kid.

Jess peered over the apartment door, looking to see if Luke had come up from the diner yet. He was starting to get a little impatient, eagerly wanting to hear what Luke had said to his mother. He sighed and looked back down at his book. Reading would make the time go by faster. After about three pages, the sound of the door handle turning caused Jess to perk up. He looked towards the door as Luke walked in. The man gave his nephew a tired smile and shut the door behind him. He made his way over to the couch and sat down next to the boy, letting out a sigh as he plopped down.

They sat silent for a moment, Jess pretending to be trapped in his book. Luke sat beside him, his eyes closed, resting comfortably against the soft cushions of the couch.

"Talk to Liz?" Jess finally asked, breaking the silence. He glanced up at his uncle, trying to act like it didn't matter to him if the man had or not.

"Yeah," he nodded, watching his nephew fidget, his legs not seeming to want to sit still. "We talked." Thinking back to his earlier conversation with the woman made the man inwardly shudder.

"How'd that go?" Jess asked as he closed his book and gave the man his full attention, "Did you two fight?"

Luke sighed and removed his cap from his head, running a hand through his hair. "You're not going back with her, I'll make sure of it," He assured his nephew. He didn't want to tell the boy what Liz had said, even if the kid already knew it; he wouldn't let the words fall from his lips. The woman had practically told Luke that Jess had deserved every hit, every beating. She was probably the one who put that thought in Jess' head. Liz was definitely not on his good side right now. He couldn't believe his sister would just sit back and watch her only son be beaten by some drunk asshole.

"To tell you the truth, I really don't want to go back with her," Jess shrugged, leaning back. "Never really felt safe when her boyfriends were around," He added. Things still felt incredibly awkward between him and Luke; his confession had changed things between the two, that's for sure.

"Jess," Luke started, the man not knowing if he should bring the subject back up again or not. He felt the need to ask more about the abuse. He wanted to know the name of every man that had even laid a finger on the kid so he could personally beat them senselessly. "When was the last time one of them hurt you?" he asked, looking over at his nephew.

The boy sat silently, his brown eyes staring straight ahead. Jess was trying not to think of the last time it had happened. He really didn't want to think about the last time he was punched, the last time he was whipped. In reality, it hadn't been that long ago. Since his arrival to Star's Hollow, events from his life in New York seemed so far away. He thought harder and it struck him: his last beating was only a few days before Liz had forced him to pack his stuff and sent him here.

Luke could tell he may have brought it up too soon, noticing how Jess seemed almost trapped in his thoughts. He didn't want to make the kid relive it, he knew it was definitely not the fondest memory to think of.

"You don't have to answer if--" he started, trying to get Jess to snap out of his trance. Jess put up his hand to stop the man.

"No, it's fine, I'll tell you," the boy stuffed his hands in his pockets and let out a sigh before speaking again, "It was a few days before Liz sent me here. Her latest fling, Phil, punched me a few times. I missed my so-called curfew, which had apparently had just gone into affect that day without me knowing." The boy tried to shrug it off as if it was nothing.

Luke was at a loss for words, so many thoughts wandering his mind. "Jess, I'm so sorry," Luke spoke, trying to hide the anger that was raging inside him. Anyone who hurt his nephew deserved to be beaten ten times worse, and Luke would gladly do it.

"Why?" Jess asked, looking over at his uncle as he slid down the couch, "You didn't do anything." He threw his book onto his pile and looked towards his uncle. They sat in silence for a moment, Luke not knowing exactly what to say next.

"I didn't have a nightmare last night," Jess spoke up, running a hand through his gelled hair. He thought he'd lighten up the mood with some relatively good news.

Luke smiled, relieved to hear that the boy hadn't relived another one of those terrible memories. "Good," he nodded, watching as his nephew rested his head against the couch, his eyes looking up towards the ceiling. "Do you think you won't have one tonight either?" Luke asked, watching his nephew adjust his position on the couch, sitting up and resting his elbows against his knees, placing his head in his hands. His eyes were focused on the ground, staring at his bare feet.

"Nah, I think they're gone for good," he smiled, looking towards his uncle, "Well, at least for now." He shrugged and turned his gaze back towards his feet, wiggling the toes on his right foot then left.

Luke nodded and studied his nephew. The boy seemed much calmer in comparison to how tense he had been the days before. It seemed revealing to Luke what had happened to him caused Jess to feel much more at ease, free of such a heavy burden to carry by himself. Luke was happy the boy had confided in him; he was happy the kid wasn't hiding it from him anymore. It killed Luke to know that the boy had once been dealing with the painful secret all on his own. He was going to make sure that the kid knew he was safe with him. He wasn't going to let Liz or any of her many boyfriends do anything to his young nephew ever again.

"You, uh, want to watch a movie or something?" Jess asked, looking over at his uncle. Jess wasn't in the mood to read anymore and he knew his uncle would like it if they had some sort of bonding time. The man seemed to have taken a liking to spending time with the boy, God knows why. He didn't mind it though, Jess kind of enjoyed it sometimes. Luke and him had a relationship that he and Liz never had, the relationship he used to crave for as a kid.

Luke smiled at the suggestion and nodded his head, "You can choose." Luke watched as his nephew got up and went to his duffle bag, digging through it. Luke was a bit shocked by the suggestion at first, watching a movie with his nephew was never something he thought the kid would suggest. Luke was happy that he had though, he wanted to bring some normalcy back into their relationship. Jess' confession had made things a bit awkward between the two.

Jess returned to the couch and threw a DVD case onto his uncle's lap. Luke picked up the case and read the title aloud:

"The Evil Dead?" he questioned, looking up at his nephew. Of course, the boy would pick this type of movie, the one with a man holding a chainsaw, covered with blood, on the cover. It wasn't like he'd pick something normal like Harry Potter or Cast Away.

"Give it a shot," the boy shrugged, plopping down on the couch next to the man, "The guy's got a chainsaw for an arm, not to mention the entertaining crappy claymation. It's a B-list masterpiece." Luke looked towards the boy, Jess anxiously waiting for a reply.

"Claymation?" Luke asked, a bit confused. Jess sighed and snatched the case out of his uncle's hands. He walked over to the TV and slid the DVD into the player, "Don't five year olds watch those claymation movies?" Luke questioned, crossing his arms.

"Luke, just watch it," the boy sighed, sitting back down on the couch. Luke leaned back and looked towards the screen. He'd give it a shot, for Jess' sake. It couldn't be all bad.

Luke payed close attention to the movie, trying to take in every odd and bloody scene. He had never seen a horror movie that was so odd. He thought the main character was a complete lunatic, but at the same time really enjoyed the man's crazy antics. All and all, by the time the credits had begun to roll, Luke had ended up enjoying the movie more than he thought.

The man looked towards his nephew, finding the boy fast asleep, his head resting against the arm of the chair. He understood that the kid must have been exhausted; he barely got any sleep during the last week. Luke decided to let him rest, turning off the TV and quietly walking towards the light switch. He flipped it down, the room going black. He looked towards his nephew once again and grabbed a blanket off the boy's bed. He laid it gently on top of Jess and smiled at his nephew's sleeping form.

He was relieved, watching the kid sleep peacefully as he ran a hand through Jess' gelled hair. Jess' dreams weren't interrupted by unwanted nightmares, and they hopefully wouldn't be ever again. The man sighed, glancing down at the kid, his lovable burden. He would always protect the boy, he'd never let anything scare him like that again. Luke leaned down and gently kissed the boy's sleeping head, walking off to his bed to finally get some rest of his own. He finally understood, it struck him, as he turned off his light. He finally understood what being a parent was and he could never go back.

* * *

Well, I hoped you guys liked the ending!

Thank you all so much for reading and please, please, please review!

:)


End file.
